I’m doing a TEDex talk in Munich next month and originally intended to do something around The Architecture of Thinking (Alternative title: Can Buildings Have Brains?). However, one of the organisers has put me off. Instead I’m doing the Perils of Prediction about why predictions about the future go so horribly wrong and whether there is any serious way to think about what’s coming next.
Anyway, long story short, I have to give the audience (or perhaps it’s a panel?) three questions. One question that I’ve thought of is “If you met someone from the future what would you ask them?”If I was given just one question it would have to be “When will I die?” Given another question I would be curious about whether there is anyone else out there – is there intelligent life on other planets? Then again, as Arthur C. Clarke pointed out, this question can only have two possible answers, both of which are quite terrifying.
Anyone out there got any better questions?
Richard, this might be a bit boring but still be relevant: ask your acquaintance from the future what is being considered the most consequential failure of our generation from the point of view of the future people. Cheers!
Choose one of the following:
1. What was the stock value of on ?
2. Who won the Grand National/Premier League/Olympics 100m in 2012?
Hey nice one Balthasar – I’ll ask it!
According to all of the best time-travel literature, movies, and TV – it is never a good idea to know too much about the future, or try to alter the events of the future. Best case scenario – the repercussions are slight and in our favor. Worst case scenario – the repercussions are severe and worse than the future we predicted before.